WolfsBane

Isn't it amazing how things get so twisted and convoluted???

The original paved roads in this country, were made for the use of bicycles and horse drawn carriages. Bicycles were not allowed to use any path earmarked for pedestrian use. When Ford's model Ts started to be cranked out of Detroit like bread from a bakery, they were absolutely hated by almost everyone that used the roads. They were large, loud, leaked fluids all over the place, and they were so heavy that they constantly damaged the pavement, forcing local government to have to spend money to repair them, (which is why state and local road taxes started for automobiles or as they were known during those times, the horseless buggys). After WWII, with the booming economy during the industrial revolution, every household could afford a modest automobile, and bicycles declined as a common mode of transportation. People just didn't see that many cyclists on the roads anymore since those times until very recently. Unfortunately, that has given a false perception to most car driver's these days, that bicycles have no business being on the road. That the roads are the sole and exclusive medium and domain for motored vehicles. And the lack of proper education for both motored vehicle operators and cyclists, not to mention the lack of proper state, city, and county ordenance and education has perpetuated this false impression.

More and more people, every single day, are taking to the roads on bicycles for all kind of reasons, not just for transportation or commuting alone. That... is NOT going to change. Setting up the proper infrastructure for cyclists use these days would be so easy AND so cost effective, that it borders on the ridiculous. Just a little widening of the road, and some paint to properly mark and put in place the proper road signs for bicycles. And I mean, the cost, would be so negligible as to be non existent. What would take the longest to execute, would be the proper education for BOTH motored vehicle operators and cyclists. Then, the states and local governments would then be able to properly incorporate into regulation the use of bicycles on public roads... something that is not taking place right now. Unfortunately, our various state and local governing bodies have a vested interest in keeping certain special groups happy and keeping the status quo. But again, the fact is that we will all see more and more bicycles on the road than ever before. And this fact can not simply be ignored or dismissed anymore. It needs to be addressed immediately for the safety of all parties involved.